Dear Philippa,
It’s knotted covered hair, I mean tangled hair, hair in a mess.
I guess the speaker spent the night with the beloved, which was not the plan.
Everyone is awake, the crowded street, the people moving there will notice this person, this is the fear,
so when this person covers the messy hair, it will not be seen by the people around. What about the place of work.
This is what’s disturbing the speaker.
I’m not sure who the poet is talking about, could it be him? This is where things get complicated. 🙂